Only in Maryland, it seems, do bowling centers get religion and become churches

Bowling

June 20, 1993|By Glenn Small | Glenn Small,Staff Writer

As some of you may have heard, the old Bowl America Dundalk lanes has been purchased by a new owner -- the Inverness Presbyterian Church, which plans to convert the old bowling alley into a church.

It is not the first local church to make use of an old bowling alley. The New Solid Rock Church has been converting the old Cedonia Lanes, a 40-lane tenpin house, into a church for several years.

It's not surprising, given the fact that bowling alleys are closing down across the country. Some 4,000 have shut their doors in the last 30 years, according to the American Bowling Congress.

What is a little surprising is that, according to the ABC, the bowling-alley-to-church conversions in Baltimore are the only ones they've ever heard of in the United States.

A spokesman for Bowl America said a third church is Maryland is planning to convert the old Bowl America Kent lanes in Prince George's County into a church.

That makes bowling alleys turned churches in Maryland 3, the rest of the country 0.

Best young duckpin bowlers

This Saturday at Fair Lanes Pikesville, some 160 young duckpin bowlers from Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Virginia will compete in the 20th annual Coca-Cola National Duckpin Youth Championships.

The five-member boys and girls teams will compete in four age divisions and bowl three games.

148-average bowler wins big

Bob Quental, a 148-average bowler from Hunt Valley, knocked down 588 pins scratch and received 147 pins handicap last weekend in the Free State Tenpin tournament at Crofton Bowling Centre.

That gave him a total pinfall of 735, good enough for first place and $750.

Second place and $375 went to Charles Whittington III of Annapolis, who shot a 709 scratch series, and received 24 pins for a 733 three-game set.

Don Messinese, a 203-average bowler from Laurel, captured third place and $225 by bowling games of 254, 224, 225 for a 703 scratch set.

The weekly tenpin tournaments are open to all bowlers, men and women, and handicap is based on the difference of a bowler's average and 210.

This week the Free State is at Fair Lanes Dundalk. For information, call (410) 356-0936.

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If you know an interesting bowler or have an good bowling story to tell, please call me at (410) 494-2944, or write to The Sun, 1300 Bellona Ave., Lutherville, 21093. You also can fax letters or scores to (410) 494-2916. Please enclose a name and phone number for verification.